In many embodiments of cluster systems, not all nodes of the cluster may be connected to external networks. For example, in asymmetric topologies or due to switch limitations including switch port unavailability or link aggregation (LAG) limitations, fewer than all of the cluster nodes may be connected to the upstream switch or router. Nodes serving as gateways to the cluster can manually route, encapsulate, and transmit packets to internal nodes, but this requires additional overhead processing and decreases efficiency.